Rustler Mechanical Speed Control?

[Big J]

I just got another Rustler off ebay. Turns out it has the older mechanical speed control. http://www.hobbypeople.net/gallery/630418.asp
I have never messed with that type of SC before. How good are they? What is the biggest battery I can put on it? How hard will it be to upgrade to a ESC? Also what year did Traxxas put those MSC in their trucks?

 

[Big J]

Nobody... Really.

 

[hamz9561]

I don't really have any experience with that kind of speed control, but I can't imagine it would be that hard. If it's anything like I'm thinking, it has a servo controlling brakes and speed controller? If that is the case, I would disconnect the throttle linkage to the speed controller. you should then be able to add am ESC in its place. You should then be able to use a Y-connector going to the RX allowing you to use the brakes and the ESC. Again this a guess.

Could you post some pictures so we might be able to refine this guess into something more reliable?

 

[bishiman]

I had an older tamiya buggy style car. It had a mechanical speed controller for foward and reverse. There were no breaks. As long as you keep the contacts clean and the wires are in good shape it will work just fine. Since there is no electronic components it allow you to use as much voltage as the motor/wires will handle. To change it over to say an xl5, all you would do is unplug the servo that controls the speed controller and that is where you would plug in the xl5. then just connect the motor and all should work fine.